


Cookout

by sanctum_c



Series: Cloti Week 2018 [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Buggy - Freeform, Cooking, Corel Desert, Desert, F/M, Overheating, Vehicle Breakdown, sweating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-20 16:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21060020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Dio's gift of a buggy seems good at first. Too bad the vehicle can't cope with the desert heat.





	Cookout

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Cookout'

Yuffie groaned, stumbled out of the buggy and flopped to the ground in what little shade the vehicle offered. Aeris hurried to the front, skirt held up with one hand, the other fumbling the hood open. She staggered back immediately, the air above the engine rippling. “That’s going to need some time.” She peered closer. “Hopefully we caught it before it overheated too badly.”

“Not going to cool easily in this.” Sweat beaded on Tifa's forehead. They were on the edge of the Corel desert, the towering form of the Gold Saucer in the distance, the sun beating down on them. The remainder of their companions struggled out of the vehicle, the thick funk of sweat drifting from the open doorway. A breeze would be nice. Or some water. Or shade. The grasslands began perhaps a mile or two distant; not bad to walk, but what about after? No water sources in sight.

“The beach was better than this.” Aeris undid another button at the top of her dress and fanned her face. She fidgeted and swatted at her skirt, bunching it up at one side to expose more of her legs. One of the few times when Tifa’s short skirt came in handy. But she was a child of the mountains; all this heat was obnoxious. At least she seemed to be coping better than most of the others. Nanaki sprawled in the shadow beneath the buggy, his tail lying limp beside him. At least his flame did not seem to emit any more heat than he did. Barret sat beside the buggy, gazing back to the remnants of Corel. Cait Sith still sat inside - robots were fine in this weather. And Cloud- Cloud also seemed fine.

“How are you not sweating?”

He blinked at Tifa and scratched at his head with faint embarrassment. “Yeah,” Barret put in with a frown. “Some kind of SOLDIER trick? No one else I know could have tracked out of that prison, gone back and then won a chocobo race and not be even a little sweaty.”

“I dunno.” Cloud shrugged. “Guess it must be.”

“This is one of those rare times I wish I was a SOLDIER,” Yuffie muttered. “Then I could take on the company from within in and-“ She groaned. “Too hot. You could fry an egg out here.”

“Not quite hot enough for that,” Tifa quipped. “Did want to try it one time though.”

“Give it a shot.” Aeris threw her jacket into the buggy and tied her hair up higher.

“No eggs.”

“Aw.” Aeris pouted. She glanced around. “I would offer to get some for this but-“

“Save your strength,” Barret rumbled.

“Yeah, yeah.” She wandered back to the engine and winced. “At least it’ll be cool when night comes.”

“And with it will come many more monsters,” Nanaki murmured.

A collective groan rose from all but one party member. Yuffie struggled into a sitting position. “Hope no Shinra. Can’t think about fending off Shinra right now. I mean... If they capture us they’d put us in the cells. Indoors. Shinra has air conditioning. Right?” Tifa nodded.

“We are not giving into Shinra.” Aeris let out a sigh. “We just need a distraction.”

“How about dinner?” Tifa glanced around at the others. “We’re stuck here for now so why not?”

Aeris grimaced. “I had hoped we would get some better supplies by then.” She shoved her bag back into the vehicle.

Tifa grinned. “I had something else in mind; a cook out.”

“Aren’t we lacking meat?” Barret jabbed a thumb at the buggy. “I know Dio gave us his finest cheap supplies, but- There ain’t no fridge in there, and I don’t think I want to risk anything that’s been in that heat all this time.”

“I was thinking we could get something more fresh. There’s a few tasty species in the desert-“ She broke off as Yuffie groaned.

“That is still far too much like fighting Shinra.”

“Not you.” Tifa winked at Yuffie. “How about the man with no heat issues?”

Cloud blinked at her when she smiled at him. “Uh, sure. I’m not entirely sure what the best to get is?”

“Guess I need to go with you. Try and stay cool, okay guys?” Avalanche made some half-hearted acknowledgements, Yuffie flopping back onto the ground. They wandered from the buggy. Tifa nudged Cloud with her hip. “I have to admit, I’m a bit surprised. I figured SOLDIER would have some kind of survival training. And if not that, then at least as a result of the mercenary work.”

Cloud frowned. “I did. Or-“ His frown deepened. “I should have done. Must have gotten out of it somehow.” He shook his head. “Would have been handy.” He smiled at her. “At least you know what to do. Glad you came with me.” One of his rare smiles; since their reuniting Cloud had seemed to strive for stoicism all the time. His smiles were far more appealing, far more like him. Far more natural. As always the thought seemed to drive her to the precipice of questions without clear answers and worries. “Hey, how about that?” He pointed and snapped her out of her reverie.

A monster slunk across the ground nearby. Not poisonous and pretty tasty if Tifa remembered right. “Perfect. Let’s go, Cloud!”


End file.
